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Qatar announces 4-day mourning period for passing of former leader
Flags will be flown at half-mast throughout the country for the duration of the period for the late Father Amir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani
- PUBLISHED: Sun 12 Jul 2026, 12:48 PM UPDATED: Sun 12 Jul 2026, 12:56 PM
Qatar has announced a four-day public mourning period for the passing of its former leader, Father Amir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, who died on the morning of Sunday, July 12.
The period is set to begin on July 12 itself, the Amiri Diwan revealed in its statement.
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Flags will be flown at half-mast throughout the country for the duration of the mourning period.
Funeral prayers for Sheikh Hamad are set to take place after Maghrib prayer on Sunday, July 12, at the Imam Muhammad bin Abdul Wahab Mosque, after which his body will be laid to rest in the Lusail Cemetery.
The late leader — known for transforming Qatar into a regional powerhouse from its Bedouin background — had served from 1995 until his abdication in 2013, when he handed the throne to his fourth son, the current Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.
Sheikh Hamad had elevated Qatar's global profile through the development of the Al Jazeera television network, as well as its bid to host the 2022 soccer World Cup tournament.
During his 18-year rule, several major events including the 2006 Asian Games, 2012 UN Climate Change Conference, Doha Agreement and Fatah–Hamas Doha Agreement, took place in the country.
